Mushroom Spring

After a year off due to drought, the mycology of our Cascades is off to a great start. There are so many flushes up with the rains, Mycena and Agaricus, along with Tricholoma, Pluteus- ok ok, what kinds are they and can I eat them? No! Never eat a mushroom unless you have confirmed with a local expert- and what that might look like?

Pluteus cervinus “Deer Mushroom”

We meet up for a walk in my greater backyard and find specimens of this mushroom in the woods for hours until you can tell me 3 other dangerous look alikes and why you should not choose to harvest and eat this mushroom alone- or teach others to. Or you become a neighbor and spend a decade learning this place to become a little more familiar. I’m not an expert, but I’ll learn with you.

Polypores are some of my favorites, and they are usually to be found in our temperate rainforests year-round. These are the wood eating species, and the most common are bracket fungi. Red belted conks, artist conks, horse hoof fungus- these are all saprophytic types that are very unappetizing, but often hold rich nutrient density and medicinal qualities. Don’t think you can just pry them off a log and chew them up- extracting the helpful chemicals takes some know how, but in a pinch, you can steep them in hot water to make tea. This will at least give you some benefit, but it won’t cure cancer.

Another fun shaped mycological friend of the forest looks better suited to the ocean. Coral mushrooms come in a few different colors, and some are edible, but not exceptionally delicious, so I usually let them be. It’s fun to get in close to these marvelous shapes, transporting yourself to an under water forest floor. Club moss strings along nearby, like kelp. Keep an eye out for these terrestrial aquarium delights and swim on in for a closer look.

Our next species is the typical mushroom we all knew as children, from video games to cartoon shows, the classic red and white poke-a-dot cap with white stem is the quintessential fungal character that comes to mind. You will not find any power up toadstools moving across the landscape, but you will find amanitas of all kinds and colors, and yes, there is a red and white one, which the fantasy mushroom takes it’s persona from.

I’ve always been impressed by these beauties, but also weary. Agaricus, where many of our more edible species (like the button mushroom), look almost identical to a few fatally toxic amanita cousins when young. This is why I do not harvest white mushrooms with a veil under any circumstances. The only truly kill you species in The Central Cascades of Western Washington contain mostly Amanita family relatives. It is very important to remain weary and not get experimental in mushrooming. However, there is a lot of misguided fear around mycology, and by learning more about the mushrooms themselves, helps us set better boundaries about the hazards so we can better enjoy the fun and tasty.

Peeking out modestly from the moss is a fine looking russula. This genus of mushroom is adorable and prolific in our woodlands. Yes, some are edible, no, none will kill you- at worst you get a peppery burning taste, at worst, an upset tummy, so it’s not a recommended edible delectable. How do you know it’s a russula? The most exciting way to test is throwing one against an obliging trunk to see what happens. If the mushroom fruit shatters like safety glass on impact, you have a russula. Well, you had a russula. There are a lot of species in this genus, but none will kill you. Where russulas roam, chantrelles are not far, so I use this friend as a signal of timing and habitat conducive to chantrelles.

Frozen, but still good, these funnel chantrelles are holding up at high altitude as the cold sets in. Some mushrooms can withstand the cold, or even thrive in it, while others melt into goo when the hard frosts come. The mushroom spring has been quite the bonanza this year, and continues through our wet months with gusto. Keep documenting, examining, and reading up on all the diversity and originality to be found in the fungal kingdom. More writing to come on great finds, kitchen prep, and feasting to come.